In the HBO series "The Leftovers," 2% of the world’s population vanishes one day, leaving those left behind to ponder what happened. Is the rapture upon us? Is this a supernatural event? An elaborate game of hide and go seek? In the forthcoming feature "Left Behind," the same scenario goes down, except for one key difference: Nicolas Cage.
Yep, the actor leads "Left Behind," based on the apocalyptic novel beloved of evangelical Christians like Kirk Cameron, who starred in a much lower budget, lower profile 2003 rendition. This version? More money, more Cage, and less "Growing Pains" dude. The below trailer nonetheless suggests a badly acted disaster movie more than it does a thoughtful HBO program. Think of the opening of the pilot episode of Damon Lindelof‘s show "Lost" stretched to blockbuster proportions, with those "left behind" dealing with the immediate consequences of millions of humans suddenly vanished from the face of the Earth. What does it all mean? Is God this cruel? Well, if He’s out there and let this movie happen, the answer is yes.
"Left Behind" opens on October 3rd.